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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. kid — to tease
  4. mate — a partner
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mate — a friend
  7. kid — child
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bulb — for light
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. deal — to handle
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. board — to get on
  17. craft — boats
  18. mate — to breed
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. board — a committee

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com